Morocco Democracy: Coalition Negotiations Continue
By Morocco News Agency Staff
Rabat, Morocco --- December 14, 2011... Morocco’s designated next Prime Minister - Abdelilah Benkirane - continued on the path to democracy by conducting coalition building negotiations and consultations.
Earlier this week he met with the Secretaries General of his main coalition partners - Abbas El-Fassi (the current Prime Minister) of the Independence Party, Mohand Laenser of the Popular Movement, and Nabil Benabdellah of the Party of Progress and Socialism.
The four discussed a host of issues - ranging from articulating policy principles to selecting candidates for key positions in Morocco such as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. They agreed with Benkirane that the number of ministers and state secretaries of the next democratic cabinet would be between 25 and 30.
Subsequently, Benkirane issued a statement that the meeting “took place in an atmosphere of brotherhood” and provided “the opportunity to discuss issues Parliament and the mechanisms of development of the government program.”
He confirmed that the four party leaders in Morocco “decided to intensify meetings to finalize the formation of the government as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, the de-facto majority of the coalition increased by five seats when five members of minuscule parties from the liberal left announced the formation of the Al-Moustakbal (the Future) independent parliamentary group that will support and vote for Benkirane’s government without being part of it.
Miloud Chaabi of the Environment and Sustainable Development Party was elected the leader and spokesman of the group.
In the statement announcing the formation of the Al-Moustakbal group, Chaabi explained that this initiative emanates from its firm belief in “the importance of the reform process Morocco is undergoing in the aftermath of the adoption of the new Constitution and the parliamentary elections of November 25, 2011 that illustrate the commitment to democracy, change, institutional reform and achieving sustainable development, as expressed by the Moroccan people.”
With this in mind, the Al-Moustakbal group intends to act “in support of the commitment to reform and change in the management of public affairs.” With the Al-Moustakbal onboard - the Benkirane government will have a slightly larger majority of 222 seats with 56 percent of the votes.
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